Method of knitting floatless patterned fabric



April 26, 1960 N. LEVIN 2,933,906

METHOD OF KNITTING FLOATLESS PATTERNED FABRIIC Filed Sept. 10, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l FlE- l I N V EN TOR. Nathan Levin ATTORNEY.

April 26, 1960 N. LEVIN 2,933,906

Filed Sept. 10, 1 956 k 49 k4 9i {mm (P i I t u,

April 26, 1960 N. LEVIN 2,933,906

METHOD OF KNITTING FLOATLESS PATTERNED FABRIC ATTORNEY.

United StatesPatent 2,933,906 METHOD OF KNITTING FLOATLESS PATTERNED FABRIC NathanLevin, Trenton, N .J., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyle vama 7 Application September 10, 1956, Serial No. 608,749

5 Claims. (Cl. 66-43) The pr'esentinvention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to weft knit fabric composed. of suture joined areas or portions of fabric having an'overplaid type o'f'design incorporated therein and'to the method of makingthe same.

. In an application Serial No. 584,932, filed May "15,

1956,. now Patent No. 2,917,912 issued December 22,1959, of which the present application may be con sidereda continuation-impart, a method of knitting an overplaididesign in suture joined areas of a tubular fabric is disclosed, the method generally providing for the reciprocatory' operation of'a four feed circular knitting machine in such manner that an opposite pair of feeds alsoknown as knitting stations) forms acorresponding first pair-of fabric areas oppositely disposed inthe tubular fabric while the intervening pair of feeds incorporates the overplaid design within the first pairof fabric areas during the knitting thereof, and then reversing the action of each of thepairs of feeds for the formationof a second pair of overplaid-ornamented oppositely disposed areas, the fabric areas-of said first and second pairs and ofother similar pairs thereof being arranged in alternation to form said tubular fabric. 7

{In the fabric made according to the above method, each of the-fabric areas are formed during strokes in both' directions of' reciprocatory knitting, whereas each'of the overplaid yarns is formed into stitches only during strokes in one directionof knitting."

it is an -object' ofthe present invention to pro v'ide a fabric having an overplaid type of design incorporated therein by reciprocating knitting wherein the base or body fabric-may be knit during the strokes in both directions of'the reciprocating knitting'and wherein each'line of theoverplaid design may also be made during thestrokes in both directionsof the reciprocating knitting, and to provide a method of making the same.

'- -It is also anobject of the presentinvention to provide a fabric having an overplaid-zigzag type of design in-' corporated thereinby reciproeating knitting wherein the basebr body fabric may be knit during the strokes in both directions of the reciprocating knitting and wherein, for-a line of said design angled in-one direction, the overplaid design may be made during the strokes in one direction of the reciprocating knitting, and wherein, for

a line :of said design angled-in an opposite direction, the overplaid design may be made during the strokes in the opposite direction: of the reciprocating knitting, and to provide a method of making the same. e

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fabric having" an' overplaid type of design incorporated therein by reciprocating knitting wherein the base or body fabric may be knit during the strokes'in both directions of-knitting and wherein, for a pair of successive base fabric courses; each line of the overplaid design may be made during the strokes in both directions ;of'

the reciprocating knitting-and to provide a method of makingthesainea;

Withthese and other objects in view, which will be-,

was

Patented Apr; 26, 1960 come apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown 1n the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel features of the present method of knitting and in the product resulting therefrom, as hereinafter more particularly pointed 'out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of one side of a solid color stocking of the Argyle type having an overplaid type of design of the present invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the stitch construction of-the overplaid and of the body yarns in a portion of stocking fabric in the-area enclosed by the rectangle indicated at 2 in Fig. l;

-F ig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, of a modified form of 'fabric construction; and

" Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the needle operations at a pair of knitting stations;

The overplaid design is preferably incorporated in circular knit hosiery-and is preferably made upon a multifeedmachine of the'type disclosed in the application of I Benjamin Franklin Coile, Serial No. 329,801, filed J anupair of feeds'while the intervening pair of feeds is inac- 'tive'and then knitting a second pair of oppositely disposed areas (arranged in alternation with the fabric areas of. the first pair thereof) on the intervening pair of feeds while the said opposite pair of feeds is inactive, and then repeating these steps. It is with the second method of knitting" that the present invention and Patent No. 2,917,912 are concernedin connection'with the incorporation'of an'overplaid design in the hosiery.

ijjAs illustrated in Fig. l, the stocking includes a top 10, a leg portion 11, and the usual'foot portion 12. The leg portion is provided with afour-s ection pattern of diamond shaped Argyle design of which there are the upper opposite pair of side half diamonds, one of which is shown at 13;the intermediate opposite pair of side diamonds, one of which is shown at 14; the lower opposite pair of side 'half diamonds, one of which is shown at 15;

' the front and rear upper pair of diamonds', halves of which are shown at 16 and 17; and the front and rear lower pair of diamonds, halves of which are shown at 18 and 19. The various diamonds aresuture joined along diagonally extending suture lines indicated. at 20.' The diamonds themselves, each of a solid body color, are ornamented with an overplaid design comprising relatively narrow' spirally extending lines of courses of stitches 21 ofeontrastingly colored yarns,'- the lines of the overplaid .design generally dividing each diamond into a.-

group of four smaller diamonds.' The side diamond areas 13,14 and 15, and the corresponding opposite side diamond areas, are disposed in an opposite pair of patternsections, while the front diamond areas 16 and 18 and the rear'diamond areas 17 and 19, are disposed in the intervening pair of, opposite pattcrn sections. It -will amond areas is simultaneously knit at an opposite pair be noted that there is a number of wales common to adjacent pattern sections. I

,Generally in the method set forth 2,917,912, when eac h pair; of oppositely disposed diin Patent No. Q

of knitting stations of body yarns during strokes in both directions of reciprocating knitting, each line of the overplaid design is simultaneously incorporated in the said pair of diamond areas at the remaining opposite pair of knitting stations only during strokes in one direction of knitting, using a pair of overplaid yarns at each of the latter identified stations. With respect to any single diamond area made of a body yarn at any one station, each single line of its overplaid design is made at an adjoining knitting station of an overplaid yarn fed thereat. The needles knitting each of theoverplaid yarns at each of the overplaid knitting stations are selected to knit only during strokes in one direction of knitting, and do not knit on the return strokes. In the present method with respect to any single fabric area made by recipro cating knitting of a body yarn during strokes in both directions of the knitting at any one station, each single line of its overplaid designmay also be made during strokes in both directions of the knitting at an adjoining station, of an overplaid yarn fed at the latter station. The overplaid design line may have either one or two courses of knitting to two courses of knitting of the body yarn. When the overplaid knitting is two courses to two courses of the body yarn, then each of the two overplaid courses is knit during each of opposite successive single strokes of the knitting, and, when the overplaid knitting is one course to two coursesof the body yarn, then forthe overplaid design angled in one direction, the overplaid is knit only during a stroke in one, direction of the knitting, and for the oppositely angled overplaid design, the overplaid is knit only during the stroke in the'opposite direction of the knitting.

In the portion of fabric shown in Fig. 2, a body yarn. 22 is formed into a series of wales and courses of which the alternate courses, starting with course 23, are knit at a feed in one direction during alternate strokes of reciprocating knitting, while the intervening courses, starting with course 24, are knit at the same feed in the op-.

posite direction during intervening strokes of reciprocat-Y ing knitting. During this knitting operation,'the needles, are selected so that in courses 24, 25 and 32, 33, pairs of floats are made in wales 35,36 and 43, 44; in courses, 26, 27 and 30, 31, pairs of floats'are made in wales 37, 38 and 41, 42; and in courses 28,, 29, a pair of floats is made in Wales 39, 40.

A schematic layout of a pair of feeds Nos. 1 and 2, corresponding, to feeds ,Nosql and 2 of the C oil'e machine pair of needles 46 (the number depending upon the width of the design line desired) is selectively raised to yam taking position, with the remainder of the needles at low non-yarn taking level, to take and knit an overplaid yarn 47 to form a pair of stitches 48 in wales 35, 36 as the needles move to the right through the knitting wave 45 of feed No. 2.*The needles N will then be to the right of feed No. 2 as shown at D. The needles will then 'move to the left through feed No. 2 without knitting, as shown at E, wherein all the needles are at non-yarn taking level. Then the needles continue to the left to, pass through feed No. 1 where course 24 is formed, at the same time providing a float in wales 35,

- 36 to the rear of stitches 48 and providing a float in wales 43, 44. The needles N will then continue on to the left through feed No.4 (not shown) where, while moving to the left,.a pair of selected needles will knit an overplaid yarn '49 to form a pair of stitches 50 in the wales 43, 44in front of the previously formed float. The course 25 is formed as'the needles N move 'to the right, passing through feed No. 4 without knitting passing through feed.

No. l knitting body yarn 22 and forming floats in wales- 35, 36 and 43, 44, passing through feed No. 3 where overplaid yarn 47 is knit on the next selected pair of needles 51 to form a pair of stitches 52 in wales 37, 38. The knitting of the courses 26 through 28 continue in this manner, as fully set forth in Patent No. 2,917,912.

The course 29 is formed of body yarn 22 as the needles N. pass to the right through feed No. 1, and as shown. at E, the needles pass through feed No. 2 to the-position of D withoutknitting the yarn.,47 during this stroke,

there being no needles raised. As the needles move to the left through position F, the pair of needles. 51 is raised to yarn taking position, the other needles being at: idle non-yarn taking level, to take and knit overplaid yarn 47 during the reverse stroke to form a pair of stitches 53 in wales 37, 38. As the needles N continue, tomove to theleft through feed N0. 1, they form the.

.- course 30 of yarn 22 with floatsinwales 37, 38 and 41,,

application, is shown in Fig. 4 'wherein the knitting wave at each of the feeds is generally indicated at 4 5, and wherein, at each of the bracketed positions A through F,

a particular relation of a series of needles N to the two feeds is shown. The manner of forming the floats shown in Fig. 2 will not be illustrated in connection with Fig. 4 for the reason that the manner of forming the' same is well understood in the art and for the reason that the present invention itself is not directly related to the manner of forming the floats, and furthermore, a full explanation thereof may be had in the twoapplications cited above. It will be noted that no feed is shown in Fig. 4 to the left of feed No. 1 although such a feed is required to knit a portion of the overplaid design of the fabric of Fig. 2. This is for the reason that such feed, which may be referred to as feed No. 4 and which is illustrated in the Coile application, operates generally in a manner similar to the operation of feedNo. 24nd" B, to position C, while the'intervening courses of the fabric are knit as the needles N move from right to left, through these positions in reverse order. In the course- 2-3, after the needles N have passed feed No. 1 and are passing through feed No. 2, from left to right as at C, a

42. Then as the needles pass through feed No. 4, moving to the left, they form no stitches but on the reverse stroke, as the needles move to the right through feed No. 4, they form stitches 54, 54 of yarn 49 in wales 41, 42. As the needles N continue on to the right through feed No. 1, they forrnbody course 31, with floats in wales 37, 38, 41 and 42, and the needles pass to the right. through feed No. 2 without knitting, as in course 29. As the needles N nowmoveto the left through feed No. 2, the needles 46 are actuated to knit yarn 47 to form a pair of stitches 55 in Wales 35, 36; as. the needles N move to the left through feed No. 1, the body course 32,

7, 33 with floats inwales 35,136, 43 and 44, and the needles,

continue to,the right through feed No. 2 without knitting. Thesteps may be repeated as often as required for the courses following course 30 wherein the line of the design continues to be angledin the same direction,

It maybe noted in' courses2 3, 25.4131 27, and in like courses, where the line of the design stitches formed of h y m 7 ex n to. the t ni in Pr res that the design stitchesthemselves are knit as the needles move to the right on the forward stroke of the machine, whereas in courses 29 and 31, and in like courses, where the line of the design stitches formed of the yarn 47: egttends'to the right as knitting, progressegrthat thev design-stitches.thems lves. re, knit as the needles. mo e t he left on the reverse stroke of the machine. Similarly.

in; courses 24, 26 and 28, and in like courses, where the line of the.design stitches formed by theyarn 49 extends to the right as knitting progresses, the.design stitches.

themselves are knit as the needles move to the left on the reverse stroke of the machine, whereas in courses 30 and 32, and in like courses, where the line of the design stitches formed of the yarn 49 extends to the left as knitting progresses, the designstitches themselves are knit as the needles moveto the right on the forward stroke of the machine. In thismanner the reverse rear floats of the overplaid yarns are avoided, these floats ordinarily being present and extendingbetween courses of oveIPlaid knitting when the angles of thedesign lines are rever sed, as may be seen at 97' in Fig. 3 of Patent No. 2,917,912. In addition to eliminating the rear floats of the overplaid yarns,-the present method provides knitted stitches of similar formation in .thegangled-lines of the design regardless 'of their direction and consequently provides uniformity throughout the overplaid design. Of each of the pairs of overplaid stitches of yarn 47 knit on needles as they move from left to right through feed No. 2, for example, the pair of stitches 48in wales 35, 36, the stitch in Wale 35 is knit first, while for the knitting, at feed No. 2, from right to left the pair of stitches 55 in these wales, the stitch in Wale 36 is knit first. Similarly, of each of the pairs of overplaid stitches of yarn 49 knit on needles as they move from right to left through feed No. 4, for example, the pair of stitches 50 in wales 43, 44, the stitch in Wale 44 is knit first, while for the knitting, at feed No. 4, from left to right of the pair of stitches 56 in these wales, the stitch in wale 43 is knit first.

A modification of the present method may be carried out wherein the body fabric is knit during both strokes ofreeiprocatory knitting to provide a successive pair of body courses, and wherein for each pair of body courses, each of the overplaid yarns is also knit during both strokes of reciprocatory knitting, the resulting fabric being partially shown in Fig. 3'. In Fig. 3, a body fabric is formed of yarn 22 at feed No. 1 in such manner that the series of needles forms alternate courses 58, 60 and 62 as they move from left to right and forms intervening courses 59, 61 and 63 as they move from right to left through the feed, the various floats being formed in the wales 64, 65, 66 and 67 in the usual manner. In course 58, after series of needlesN pass feed No.'1, they pass through feed No. 2 from left to right, as at C in Fig. 4, Where a selected pair of needles is caused to knit yarn 47' to form a pair of overplaid stitches 68 during the forward stroke. Then as the needles N pass from right to left through feed No. 2, as at F in Fig. 4, during the reverse stroke, the same pair of needles (or needles of a different selection) is caused, to knit the yarn 47' to form a second pair of overplaid stitches 69 through the stitches 68. Continued movement from right to left will cause the needles N to form body course 59 at feed No. 1, after which they will pass through feed No. 4 on the same right to left reverse stroke where a selected pair of needles will form a pair of overplaid stitches (not shown) similar to stitches 68, of a suitable yarn fed at feed No. 4. On the next forward stroke from left to right, at feed No. 4' and of the same yarn fed thereat, the said pair of selected needles will again form a pair of overplaid stitches (through the overplaid stitches knit in the reverse stroke), after which the needles will knit body yarn 22' at feed No. 1 toform body 1 course 63. Then the above steps are repeated as often as required for the design, and for courses 61, 62, on

the same forward stroke from left to right which formed course 61 a pair of stitches 70 will be formed on another pair of selected needles of yarn 47' at feed No. 2 in wales 66, 67. On the next reverse stroke from right to left, asthe needles pass through feed No. 2, the last named pair of needles will form a pair of stitches 71 of yarn 47' in wales 66, 67, and as the reverse stroke continues, the needles will pass through feed No. 1 to form course 61, after which they will knit a pair of overplaid stitches at feed No. 4 (not shown). 0n the next essence forward stroke, another pair of overplaid stitcheswill be formed at feed No. 4 (not shown) after which the needles will pass through feed'No. 1 to form course 62. The body course 63 will be knit on the next reverse stroke at feed No. 1.

p The Fig. 3 shows a portion of the design wherein it;

is angled to the left as knitting progresses, and, for'the' portions of the design which angle to the right, the meth-' od is the same with the overplaid knitting during each: forward and reverse strokes. It will be noted that of each double pair of overplaid stitches of yarn 47', for. example, the pair 68' and the pair 69 in wales 64,65, the stitch in ale '64 of the pair ,68 isk'nit firstjwhereas the stitch in'wale 65 of the pair 69is knit first. The

same observation may bemade, in reverse, of the over plaid stitches knit at feed No. 4.

Having thus described "my invention in full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and that various changes and modifications may be made all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A method of knitting for a circular knitting machine which includes the step of reciprocatorily knitting a body yarn on a series of needles during strokes in both directions of the reciprocatory knitting to form a first plurality of consecutive courses of a fabric area, the step of knitting a design yarn on selected ones of said needle series during strokes in only one of the directions of the reciprocatory knitting to incorporate said design yarn in said first plurality of courses, the step of knitting said body yarn during both strokes of the reciprocatory knitr ting toform a second plurality of consecutive courses of on selected ones of said needle series during strokes in only the opposite one of the directions of the reciprocatory knitting to incorporate said design yarn in said second plurality of courses.

2. A method of knitting for a circular knitting machine which includes the step of reciprocatorily knitting a body yarn on a series of needles during strokes in both directions of the reciprocatory knitting to form a'fabric area, and the step of knitting a design yarn onselected ones of said needle series only during half of said strokes to incorporate said design yarn in said fabric area in such manner that it forms a generally linear design of generally 'zigzag shape extending at opposite angles to the wales,

said design yarn being knitted during alternate strokes of the recoprocatory knitting for the portion of the design extending in one direction and being knitted during intervening strokes of the reciprocatory knitting for e portion of the design extending in the opposite direction.

3. A method of knitting for a circular knitting machine which includes the step of reciprocatorily knitting a body yarn on a series of needles at a first knitting station during strokes in both directions'of the reciprocatory knitting to form a fabric area, the step of knitting a first design yarn on selected ones of said needle series at a second knitting station during strokes in both directions of the reciprocatory knitting to incorporate said first design yarn in said fabric area, and the step of knittinga second design yarn on selected ones of said needle series at a third knitting station during strokes in both directions of the reciprocatory knitting to incorporate said 4. A method of knitting for a circular knitting machine which includes the step of reciprocatorily knitting a body yarn on a series of needles at a first knitting station during strokes in the opposite directions of the reciprocatory knitting to form a fabric area, the step of knitting a first design yarn on selected ones of said needle series at a second knitting station during consecutive strokes of the reciprocating knitting to incorporate said first design yarn in said fabric area, and the step of knittingasecond design yarn on selected ones of said needle series at a third knitting station during consecutive strokes of the reciproeatory knitting to incorporate said second design yarn in said fabric area.

5. A method of knitting for a' circular knitting machine which includes the step of reciprocatoi'ily knitting a body yarn'o'n a series of needles during strokes in both directions of the reciprocatoryknitting to form a fabri'cnrea,

and the step of knitting 'a design yarn onselected ones of said needle series to incorporate said design yarn in said fabric area, at certain times said last named step taking placeduring strokesin only one of the directions of the reciproca'tory knitting, at other times taking place during strokes in only the opposite one of thedirections of the reciprocato'ry knitting, and'at still other times taking place during strokes in both directions of the recipro: catory knitting. i

References Cited in the file at this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Green Jan. 25, 1955 Lawson et a1. Oct. 8, 1940 Green June 20, 1944 Thurston June 23, 1953 Thurston June 15, 1954 Mariette et a1. Nov. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 

